


Bruce Doesn't Tell Dick Anything

by Borntobemild



Series: Pot, Meet Kettle [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce is bad at communicating, Finally wrote this, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, No editing we die like mne, more to come - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 06:34:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16444664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Borntobemild/pseuds/Borntobemild
Summary: Bruce needs to get better at communication. Especially since this is the second time Dick has rushed to Gotham recently because Bruce forgets to tell him things.





	Bruce Doesn't Tell Dick Anything

**Author's Note:**

> Mainly just Dick freaking out.

Dick honestly thought everything was going okay. He'd left Gotham on good terms, he had a new sister, Tim practically lived at the manor (Dick still wondered what was going on with his situation, something about his dad being out of town?), he and Jason had never been on better terms. It was perfect.  It's why Dick had felt comfortable enough to head back to Bludhaven.

He'd only been there for a month or so when he saw a paper with Jack Drake on the cover. More specifically, Jack Drake in handcuffs.

At first it didn't click and Dick had to think for a moment to make the connection. The name Drake sounded familiar. He was almost at the end of his shift when he finally realized where he'd heard it before. Tim.

***

Dick got to Gotham in almost record speed. The only time he'd ever made the trip faster was back when he thought Jason had died. 

It was raining. Dick realized he probably should have read the article. Something Tim had said struck with him all of a sudden. Back when they had first met.

Steph is my family.

How could Dick be so stupid? It was right there. Tim had avoided telling Dick how they'd met, but now it was all too clear.

Dick was standing on the roof watching the police put two kids in the back of their car. Robin shivered, the cold of winter still in the air as he turned around on the roof, two kids finally off the streets.

That was so long ago, Dick had still been Robin, but the timing matched up. Tim had known Steph for seven years.

***

"Dick?" Bruce asked, eyebrows raised. "I thought you were in Bludhaven?"

Dick stood in the foyer, dripping on the hard wood floor. The rain outside pattered on the windows and Dick was sure he looked pretty frazzled considering it was seven in the morning and he hadn't slept that night.

"I am. I mean, I was." Dick ran a hand through his hair. "Is Tim okay?"

Dick could see the moment the realization hit Bruce. Understanding shone in his eyes and his mouth opened in an unsaid "Oh."

"I knew I was forgetting something." He muttered.

"You have to get better at the communication thing Bruce." Jason said walking into the room. "Tim is alright. Got home from the hospital yesterday."

"Hospital?" Dick shrieked. "Why was Tim in the hospital?"

"Didn't you read the paper?" Bruce asked.

"I, uh actually just saw the front page and panicked."

Alfred took Dick's soaked coat with a raised eyebrow. "Clearly."

Bruce sighed. "I think Steph or Tim would be best suited to tell you, I'm still a little uninformed myself."

"Okay." Dick took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. "What happened in your point of view?"

And Bruce told him. About how Alfred caught Steph sneaking out and how she had called with her 'hypothetical' questions. He told him how Tim showed up with a knife in his hand.

"He had a knife in his hand?" Dick asked, becoming substantially less calm.

"Technically it was a cheese spreader." Jason piped up before taking a bite of the pancakes Alfred whipped up. They had moved to the dining room for the conversation so Dick could get some much needed food in him.

"Why does it matter?" Dick asked.

"It doesn't." Bruce sighed. "After that he and Steph got into a fight about what to do, Steph won so we took him to the hospital and had Jack arrested."

"Tim and Steph got into a fight?" Dick asked. "Those two? I thought they shared a brain."

"It was actually kind of scary." Jason piped up. "I've seen them argue playfully, but this was something different. Right when I thought it was going to turn into a screaming match Steph said something and Tim finally gave in."

"Huh." Dick leaned back in his chair. "I assume Steph convinced you to let her stay home from school today."

"It's Friday and she's keeping up on her work." Bruce shrugged. "Besides if I made Steph go Tim would argue that he could go and no one wanted that."

"That kid." Dick sighed. "Is he asleep?"

"He should be." Bruce hummed, looking over the morning paper. 

"To be honest I don't think Tim actually knows how to sleep for longer than three hours." Jason offered, standing up from the table. "Ready Alfred." Both Alfred and Jason left, presumably to bring Jason to school.

"So how bad is he?" Dick asked.

"He has some broken ribs, but we got lucky. There was no internal bleeding." Dick sighed in relief. "The worst part is the stab wound."

"I still can't believe his dad came at him with a knife."

"Actually," A chipper voice greeted. "It was a cheese spreader."

Steph stood in the doorway with Tim standing next to her and wow, Dick knew it was bad but seeing Tim was entirely different. He looked like he'd been hit by a bus.

"Besides, I've had worse." Tim mumbled, reaching absent-mindedly for the food on the table. "Is there any coffee?"

"It's where it normally is." Bruce said. "You've had worse?" Tim hummed in a noncommittal manner.

"Oh yeah." Steph smirked. "There was this one time that he-"

"Steph!" Tim whined. "You don't have to tell them everything!"

"Not even about the time your dad broke your arm and instead of seeking medical attention you decided to tell everyone you were training yourself to be ambidexterous by only using your left arm for things?" She grinned.

"You suck." Tim replied, finally filling a mug with coffee. "And you have no proof that that ever happened."

Dick honestly couldn't believe it. First, that Steph could talk about this so casually. Second, that Tim would rather use his non-dominant hand than get proper medical attention.

"I think we need to have a long conversation." Bruce sighed. "All three of us."

"You guys have fun with that. But when your done we're going to get ice cream." Dick stood up. "Tim, glad you're okay. Steph, nice to see you again. Bruce, please remember to call me the next time something like this happens so I don't have to drive here from Bludhaven in a frenzy in the middle of the night. Good day."

Dick walked out of the dining room, leaving Bruce to talk to his two new kids. He needed a nap.


End file.
